Story written for graduate school, based off past events
A plane and helicopter collided over a Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania school this afternoon, killing seven.
Authorities confirmed that Senator John Heinz, a Republican from Pittsburgh, was among the dead. Heinz, who was in his third term with the U.S. Senate, was aboard the plane with two other people. Two were in the helicopter and two were killed on the ground, said Tina Crosby, a spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration.
“All bodies have been recovered, and we are in the process of making next-of-kin notification,” said Bala Cynwyd Fire Chief David Montgomery. “It was really, truly a horrible scene—the worst I’ve experienced in my career.”
Police say that students at Lower Merion Elementary School were inside at the time of collision, and while some may have suffered minor injuries, none were seriously harmed.
But Mike Notaro, a witness working down the street from the crash, claims to have seen two bodies on the ground—a small boy and an adult. He said both were covered in burns.
Concerned parents flocked to the school to check on their children’s safety but were advised by police to stay away from the scene until it was cleared.
A spokesperson from the National Transportation Safety Board announced that a team of NTSB investigators were on their way to Philadelphia to identify the cause of the accident. Officials told reporters that one of the aircrafts was identified as a twin-engine Aerostar PA-60; the helicopter belonged to Sun Company, an oil refinery business headquartered in Radnor, Pa.
Meanwhile, staff members back in Washington stood silent after hearing the news, distraught. Some covered their mouths and had tears flowing as they left the senator’s office in the Russell Senate Office Building. Heinz’s legislative director, Richard Byers, announced the 52-year-old senator’s death to reporters.
“This is an incalculable loss,” Byer’s said through tears. “Not only was Sen. Heinz a true champion of the causes we all hold dear in this office, but he was such a good friend to us, and indeed, to all the citizens of Pennsylvania.”
The popular veteran lawmaker and heir to the H.J. Heinz food fortune was regarded for his negotiation skills and his history of forging bipartisan allegiances. Heinz was first elected to Congress in 1971, when he won a house seat in a special election; he held that position for two more terms. He was later elected to the Senate in 1976 and again in 1982 and 1988. Heinz was the second-ranking Republican on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, and was also the ranking Republican member of Banking’s securities subcommittee.
Governor Robert P. Casey, D-Pa., will appoint a successor to serve until a special election, which representatives say will be held in conjunction with the general election in November.
No other elected official has expressed interest in the seat, with all agreeing that it was not the right time to discuss politics. However, Representative Harris Wofford, D-Pa., is thought to be a potential selection by the governor; Rep. Rick Santorum, a freshman Republican, is seen as a likely GOP candidate.